Ruffling attachment for sewing-machines.



N0. 655,l80. Patented Aug. 7, I900.

v H. s. AYBES. RUFFLING ATTACHMENT FORSEWING MACHINES.

(Applicatiqn filed Feb. 12, 1897.)

2 Sheets$heet I.

(No Model.)

l/m/t'neooels No. 655,!80. Patented Aug. 7,1900.

H. s. AYRES, RUFFLING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed. Feb. 12, 1897) (No Model.) 2 Sheets8heet 2,

Hll\lllllll-llllllllllllll ll. I I! urn;

HENRY sAYREs, or MOGRAWVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT P.

MOGRAW, OF SAME PLACE.

:RUFFLING ArrAcHMENr Foal sswsNc-MAcHi'NEs.

srncrrrcn'rron faces as of Letters area N6. 655,180, dated Angus 7, 1900.

Applioatldn'flled ram 12,1861. m1 No.623,163'. (NomodeL) To aZZ whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, HENRY S. AYREs, a citizen of the United States, residing at McGrawville, in the county of Cortland and State of 5 New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Rufiiers, of which the following is a specification. V 1

The object of my invention is to gather or ruffle or plait a strip,- either throughout its width or at one edge, and to sew the overlying parts together or to' a strip or strips above and below the same; and to this end my invention consists of a device having a reciprocating blade and footpiece and means for operating the parts and constituting a part of or adapted for attachment to a sewing-machine, as fully set forth hereinafter, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side view of my improved device, showing the same attached to a sewingmachine. Fig. 2 is the same, showing the opposite side. Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. 4, a plan illustrating the arrangement of the strips in sewing with two needles, and Fig. 5 a diagrammatic view.

My improvement may be used either in connection with machines especially constructed for use therewith or as an attachment to an ordinary machine. As shown in the drawings, it is an attachment adapted for use in connection with an ordinary Singer sewingmachine, where there are two needles upon the needle-bar.

The general features of construction and operation may be preliminarily understood from an examination of Fig. 5, in which h represents a presser-foot pressing upon the workplate adjacent the point where the needle or descends through the same, on being an ordinary feed-dog. A stationary plate gv extends parallel or nearly parallel to the work plate to a point beneath the foot h, and a reciprocating plate g at an angle to the plate g also extends toward the end of the foot h, and both plates may be slotted, so as to pass the point '0, where the needle or penetrates the work-plate and the fabric.

The strip y to be rufiled passes between the 50 plates 9 g, and as the plate 9 moves toward the foot h its end, which is preferably serrated, catches the fabric and folds it, as shown in Fig. 5, and passes it along the plate g underneath the foot h, where the needle 72 penetrates the same, and the plate g then moves back, catches the strip at another point, folds it, and passes it under the foot h, and so on,

the overlying portions of the ruffle being sewed to those beneath by the stitches or to a strip which passes, with the ruffle-strip, beneath the foot h and plate 9. Preferably both plates are spring-plates, so that the plate g tends to spring toward the bottom of. the

foot h and the plate g to bear with its ser' rated edge on the plate 9'', and the fabric to which the ruffle is sewed is held down upon the work-plate by the footpiece and passes ver supports the upper end of the spring blade or plate 9, which is serrated at its lower end. The other arm of the lever J has a proj ection (1 so arranged that it may be struck on the under side by a projection cl, extending from the side of the needle-barn. From the upper arm of the lever J also extends an inclined contact-horn e, so arranged that its inclined upper edge will be struck by the projection d aforesaid, whereby the reciprocation of the needle-bar and the contact of the projection d with the projection 01 and the horn ewill vibrate the lever J, and with it the blade or plate 9. I have found it best to con nect a spring .9 with the lever, so as to turn it in one direction. As shown, the said spring is connected at one end to the end of the foot h and at the other to a bracket j, extending from the lower arm of the lever J to which bracket the upper end of the plate 9 is connected.

In order to vary the throw of the plate 9, the arm 6 is fastened to the upper arm of the lever J by a pivot r and to the lower arm of the lever by a slotted slide on, secured by a screw 0. The screw 0 when tightened holds the arm e. When loosened, the arm 6 may be adjusted by moving the slide m.

When the ruffle-strip is to be sewed to a strip or fabric beneath, the latter is'passed below the plate g and between the foot h and the work-plate, and in some instances it is desirable to apply a tape or braid above the ruffle-strip and sew the same through the ruffle-strip and also at one edge to the fabric. In such case there may be two needles n n, as shown in Fig. 4, and there may be a guide N for the tape or braidb, said guide consists ing of two separated flanges which depend from the lower face of the presser-fo'ot. The Lape passes down from a reel and through the guide N to a position below the foot h, so

as to lie upon the ruflie-strip and be sewed thereto by one of the needles and, if desired, at the opposite edge to an underlying strip of fabric.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim as my inventi0n 1. In a ruffling attachment for sewing-ma: chines, the combination of a base-plate having two standards, a stationary rufliing-plate carried upon the base-plate having its end extending beneath the foot, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted at its angle upon the second standard, a spring-plate carried by the bell-crank lever having a serrated edge which bears upon the stationary plate, a horn pivoted to one arm of the bell-crank lever, a slotted slide pivotally connected to the horn and a set-screw for securing the slide to the second arm of the bell-crank lever, substantially as described.

2. In a ruftling attachment for sewing-mm chines, the combination of a frame, a foot carried upon the frame adapted to be attached to the presser-foot bar, a stationary ruffling-plate likewise carried upon the frame and extending beneath the foot, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted at its angle upon the frame, a spring connecting one arm of said lever and" the foot, a horn pivotally connected to and extending from the bell-crank lever, said horn and one arm of the lever being in position to be engaged by a projection of the nee- 1ea x s o t i e p tally c nn te to the horn, a set-screw engaging the slot of the slide'for securing it to one arm of the bell crank lever, and a springeplate carried by the bell-crank lever and having a serrated edge bearing upon the stationary plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY S. AYRES. Witnesses:

L. L WELLMAN,

W. J. BUCHANAN. 

